A level shift circuit is generally employed for transferring a signal generated by a circuit having a low voltage level to a circuit having a higher voltage level. Level shift circuits composed of a plurality of MOS-FETs have been heretofore proposed. However, such level shift circuits have not been found to be entirely reliable in their operation. Moreover, because of special characteristics required for MOS-FETs used in the circuit, they must be made larger so that it has not been found possible to make such a circuit of a sufficiently small size.